After waking up (well) before dawn for 30 years and flying every week to Chicago for the past 15, Carl Kasell has announced heâ€™s stepping down this spring after a five-decade career in broadcasting. Carl will record his final broadcast for Wait Waitâ€¦ Donâ€™t Tell Me! this spring; celebration shows are being planned. Wait Wait airs every Saturday on 89.7 NPR News at 11 am.

You can leave Carl an appreciation voice mails by Calling 1-888-WAIT-WAIT.

Carlâ€™s relationship with public radio audiences dates back to his 30 years as the newscaster for NPRâ€™s Morning Edition.Â He was the voice people woke up to. They opened their eyes, and for 30 years, he was there, reassuring them the world was still in one piece.Â In 1998 he was recruited to provide gravitas to NPRâ€™s new news-quiz, where his title, Official Judge and Scorekeeper, belied his key role as the showâ€™s straight man. Carl delighted in the role, and we all know the audience delighted in him.Â

In retirement, Carl will become Scorekeeper Emeritus of Wait Waitâ€¦ Donâ€™t Tell Me!, and continue to record custom voice mail greetings for the showâ€™s lucky winners and continue to occasionally appear in the program. Thanks to the long-standing and much-coveted prize, more than 2200 people have Kasellâ€™s voice on their home answering machines and cell phones â€“ where heâ€™s performed everything from â€œWhatâ€™s New Pussycatâ€ to â€œRapperâ€™s Delight.â€